From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sep 29: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed authorities to ensure that no effigies of Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of Raja Raghuvanshi and the prime accused in his murder case, are burnt during the Dussehra festivities in Indore.
Sonam had allegedly got him killed with the help of individuals from Madhya Pradesh. The crime took place while the couple was on their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
“Paurush” (People Against Unequal Rules Used to Shelter Harassment), an Indore-based social organisation, had stated last week that it was preparing an 11-headed effigy for “Surpanakha dahan” which will feature images of women accused of heinous murders of their husbands, children, or in-laws, including that of Sonam Raghuvanshi.
The High Court passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Sonam’s mother, Sangeeta Raghuvanshi, against the organisation.
A single bench of Justice Pranay Verma held that such an act would be impermissible in a democratic country like India, and the respondent cannot violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
Although Meghalaya faced criticism after the murder, there is no plan to burn Sonam’s effigy in any puja in the state.
The court order said, “Even if the petitioner’s daughter is an accused in a criminal case and whatsoever may be the grievance of the respondent against her and her family members, it cannot be permitted to resort to such effigy burning, which would certainly violate the fundamental rights of the petitioner, her daughter, as well as her entire family.”
The petitioner stated that effigy burning would cause severe and lasting damage to the dignity of her family. It will also be a gross violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution which encompass the right to life and personal liberty, as well as equality before the law.
Raja, an Indore businessman, was reported missing on May 23 and his decomposed body was found on June 2 in a deep ravine near a waterfall in the Sohra area. In due course, Sonam was arrested from Uttar Pradesh.
The court also prohibited the organisation from burning the effigies of any women facing criminal charges from other states, emphasising that such practices are not acceptable in a democratic setup.
Ashok Dashor, convener of the organisation, said, “We had earlier justified the effigy burning as a symbolic destruction of ‘negative qualities like adultery, immorality, lack of values, and indecency,’ drawing parallels to mythological figures. But, now that the court has issued an order, we will abide by it.”
